The smart blog 0715

What FMCSA and NHTSA Data Show About Truck Accidents Federal crash data gives a national picture of how often large trucks are involved in serious crashes. The figures below come from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and each is labeled with its year. A truck accident attorney might use figures like these for context, but statistics describe patterns across many crashes rather than what h

Driver Fatigue and Hours of Service Rules in Tractor-Trailer Crash Claims When a semi-truck crash happens near the end of a long shift, one of the first questions is whether the driver was within the federal hours-of-service limits. Fatigue leaves little physical trace at a crash scene, which is why the answer tends to come from records instead of the road itself. A truck accident attorney reviewing one of these cases will usually compare the driver's logs with every other

Liability in Car Crash Claims Explained Most car crash claims begin with the other driver, but the driver is not always the only responsible party. An employer, the vehicle owner, a government agency or a parts maker can also play a role. Sorting out who may be legally responsible is an early task for a car accident attorney, because each party may have separate insurance. Driver negligence Negligence asks whether a driver failed to act with reasonable care. Common ex

Liability in Truck Accident Claims Explained A crash involving a tractor-trailer often has more than one responsible party. The driver, the trucking company, the trailer owner, the shipper that loaded the freight and the maker of a failed part may all play a role. Identifying every responsible party is an early job for a truck accident lawyer, because each responsible party may have separate insurance. Claims against the driver Most claims start with the driver's cond

Driver Fatigue and Hours of Service Rules in Truck Accident Claims When a semi-truck crash happens near the end of a long shift, one of the first questions is whether the driver had stayed inside the federal hours-of-service limits. Fatigue leaves little physical trace at a crash scene, which is why the answer tends to come from records instead of the road itself. A truck accident attorney looking at one of these claims will usually compare the driver's logs with every othe

Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Truck Accident? A crash involving a tractor-trailer often has more than one responsible party. The driver, the trucking company, the trailer owner, the shipper that loaded the freight and the maker of a failed part may all play a role. Identifying every responsible party is an early job for a truck accident lawyer, because each party may carry its own insurance. Claims against the driver Most claims start with the driver's conduct, su

Truck Accident Statistics From FMCSA and NHTSA Data Federal crash data gives a national picture of how often large trucks are involved in serious crashes. The figures below come from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and each one is tied to its data year. A truck accident attorney might use figures like these for context, but statistics describe patterns across many crashes, not what happe